guy mannering-第94节

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y　facetious　withalMiss　Julia　Manneringhath　not　meanly　contributedSuum　cuique　tribuilo。〃

〃You；　then；〃　said　Bertram　to　his　sister；　〃are　all　that　remains　to　me！Last　night；　but　more　fully　this　morning；　Colonel　Mannering　gave　me　an　account　of　our　family　misfortunes；　though　without　saying　I　should　find　my　sister　here。〃

〃That；〃　said　Lucy；　〃he　left　to　this　gentleman　to　tell　you；　one　of　the　kindest　and　most　faithful　of　friends；　who　soothed　my　father's　long　sickness；　witnessed　his　dying　moments；　and　amid　the　heaviest　clouds　of　fortune　would　not　desert　his　orphan。〃

〃God　bless　him　for　it！〃　said　Bertram；　shaking　the　Dominie's　hand；〃　he　deserves　the　love　with　which　I　have　always　regarded　even　that　dim　and　imperfect　shadow　of　his　memory　which　my　childhood　retained。〃

〃And　God　bless　you　both；　my　dear　children；〃　said　Sampson；　〃if　it　had　not　been　for　your　sake；　I　would　have　been　contented　（had　Heaven's　pleasure　so　been）　to　lay　my　head　upon　the　turf　beside　my　patron。〃

〃But；　I　trust；〃　said　Bertram；　〃I　am　encouraged　to　hope　we　shall　all　see　better　days。　All　our　wrongs　shall　be　redressed；　since　Heaven　has　sent　me　means　and　friends　to　assert　my　right。〃

〃Friends　indeed！〃　echoed　the　Dominie；　〃and　sent；　as　you　truly　say；　by　Him；　to　whom　I　early　taught　you　to　look　up　as　the　source　of　all　that　is　good。　There　is　the　great　Colonel　Mannering　from　the　Eastern　Indies；　a　man　of　war　from　his　birth　up…wards；　but　who　is　not　the　less　a　man　of　great　erudition；　considering　his　imperfect　opportunities；　and　there　is；　moreover；　the　great　advocate　Mr。　Pleydell；　who　is　also　a　man　of　great　erudition；　but　who　descendeth　to　trifles　unbeseeming　thereof；　and　there　is　Mr。　Andrew　Dinmont；　whom　I　do　not　understand　to　have　possession　of　much　erudition；　but　who；　like　the　patriarchs　of　old；　is　cunning　in　that　which　belongeth　to　flocks　and　herdsLastly；　there　is　even　I　myself；　whose　opportunities　of　collecting　erudition；　as　they　have　been　greater　than　those　of　the　aforesaid　valuable　persons；　have　not；　if　it　becomes　me　to　speak；　been　pretermitted　by　me；　in　so　far　as　my　poor　faculties　have　enabled　me　to　profit　by　them。　Of　a　surety；　little　Harry；　we　must　speedily　resume　our　studies。　I　will　begin　from　the　foundationyes；　I　will　reform　your　education　upward　from　the　true　knowledge　of　English　grammar；　even　to　that　of　the　Hebrew　or　Chaldaic　tongue。〃

The　reader　may　observe；　that；　upon　this　occasion；　Sampson　was　infinitely　more　profuse　of　words　than　he　had　hitherto　exhibited　himself。　The　reason　was；　that　in　recovering　his　pupil　his　mind　went　instantly　back　to　their　original　connection；　and　he　had　in　his　confusion　of　ideas；　the　strongest　desire　in　the　world　to　resume　spelling　lessons　and　half…text　with　young　Bertram。　This　was　the　more　ridiculous；　as　towards　Lucy　he　assumed　no　snob　powers　of　tuition。　But　she　had　grown　up　under　his　eye；　and　had　been　gradually　emancipated　from　his　government　by　increase　in　years　and　knowledge；　and　a　latent　sense　of　his　own　inferior　tact　in　manners；　whereas　his　first　ideas　went　to　take　up　Harry　pretty　nearly　where　he　had　left　him。　From　the　same　feelings　of　reviving　authority；　he　indulged　himself　in　what　was　to　him　a　profusion　of　language；　and　as　people　seldom　speak　more　than　usual　without　exposing　themselves；　he　gave　those　whom　he　addressed　plainly　to　understand；　that　while　he　deferred　implicitly　to　the　opinions　and　commands；　if　they　chose　to　impose　them；　of　almost　every　one　whom　he　met　with；　it　was　under　an　internal　conviction；　that　in　the　article　of　Erudition；　as　he　usually　pronounced　the　word；　he　was　infinitely　superior　to　them　all　put　together。　At　present；　however；　this　intimation　fell　upon　heedless　cars；　for　the　brother　and　sister　were　too　deeply　engaged　in　asking　and　receiving　intelligence　concerning　their　former　fortunes　to　attend　much　to　the　worthy　Dominie。

When　Colonel　Mannering　left　Bertram；　he　went　to　Julia's　dressing…room；　and　dismissed　her　attendant。　〃My　dear　sir；〃　she　said　as　he　entered；　〃you　have　forgot　our　vigils　last　night；　and　have　hardly　allowed　me　time　to　comb　my　hair；　although　you　must　be　sensible　how　it　stood　on　end　at　the　various　wonders　which　took　place。〃

〃It　is　with　the　inside　of　your　head　that　I　have　some　business　at　present；　Julia；　I　will　return　the　outside　to　the　care　of　your　Mrs。　Mincing　in　a　few　minutes。〃

〃Lord；　papa；〃　replied　Miss　Mannering；　〃think　how　entangled　all　my　ideas　are；　and　you　to　propose　to　comb　them　out　in　a　few　minutes！　If　Mrs。　Mincing　were　to　do　so　in　her　department；　she　would　tear　half　the　hair　out　of　my　head。〃

〃Well　then；　tell　me；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃where　the　entanglement　lies；　which　I　will　try　to　extricate　with　due　gentleness！〃

〃Oh；　everywhere；〃　said　the　young　lady〃the　whole　is　a　wild　dream。〃

〃Well　then；　I　will　try　to　unriddle　it。〃　He　gave　a　brief　sketch　of　the　fate　and　prospects　of　Bertram；　to　which　Julia　listened　with　an　interest　which　she　in　vain　endeavoured　to　disguise〃Well；〃　concluded　her　father；　〃are　your　ideas　on　the　subject　more　luminous？〃

〃More　confused　than　ever；　my　dear　sir；〃　said　Julia。　〃Here　is　this　young　man　come　from　India；　after　he　had　been　supposed　dead；　like　Aboulfouaris　the　great　voyager　to　his　sister　Canzade　and　his　provident　brother　Hour。　I　am　wrong　id　the　story；　I　believeCanzade　was　his　wifebut　Lucy　may　represent　the　one；　and　the　Dominie　the　other。　And　then　this　lively　crack…brained　Scotch　lawyer　appears　like　a　pantomime　at　the　end　of　a　tragedy。And　then　how　delightful　it　will　be　if　Lucy　gets　back　her　fortune！〃

〃Now　I　think；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃that　the　most　mysterious　part　of　the　business　is；　that　Miss　Julia　Mannering；　who　must　have　known　her　father's　anxiety　about　the　fate　of　this　young　man　Brown；　or　Bertram；　as　we　must　now　call　him；　should　have　met　him　when　Hazlewood's　accident　took　place；　and　never　once　mentioned　to　her　father　a　word　of　the　matter；　but　suffered　the　search　to　proceed　against　this　young　gentleman　as　a　suspicious　character　and　assassin。〃

Julia；　much　of　whose　courage　had　been　hastily　assumed　to　meet　the　interview　with　her　father；　was　now　unable　to　rally　herself；　she　hung　down　her　head　in　silence；　after　in　vain　attempting　to　utter　a　denial　that　she　recollected　Brown　when　she　met　him。

〃No　answerwell；　Julia；〃　continued　her　father；　gravely　but　kindly；　〃allow　me　to　ask　you；　Is　this　the　only　time　you　have　seen　Brown　since　his　return　from　India？still　no　answer。　I　must　then　naturally　suppose　that　it　is　not　the　first　timeStill　no　reply。　Julia　Mannering；　will　you　have　the　kindness　to　answer　me？　Was　it　this　young　man　who　came　under　your　window　and　conversed　with　you　during　your　residence　at　Mervyn　Hall？　JuliaI　command　I　entreat　you　to　be　candid。〃

Miss　Mannering　raised　her　head。　〃I　have　been；　sirI　believe　I　am　still　very　foolishand　it　is　perhaps　more　hard　upon　me　that　I　must　meet　this　gentleman；　who　has　been；　though　not　the　cause　entirely；　yet　the　accomplice　of　my　folly；　in　your　presence。〃Here　she　made　a　full　stop。

〃I　am　to　understand；　then；〃　said　Mannering；　〃that　this　was　the　author　of　the　serenade　at　Mervyn　Hall？〃

There　was　something　in　this　allusive　change　of　epithet；　that　gave　Julia　a　little　more　courage〃He　was　indeed；　sir；　and　if　I　am　very　wrong；　as　I　have　often　thought；　I　have　some　apology。〃

〃And　what　is　that？〃　answered　the　Colonel；　speaking　quick；　and　with　something　of　harshness。

〃I　will　not　venture　to　name　it；　sirbut〃She　opened　a　small　cabinet；　and　put　some　letters　into　his　hands；　〃I　will　give　you　these；　that　you　may　see　how　this　intimacy　began；　and　by　whom　it　was　encouraged。〃

Mannering　took　the　packet　to　the　windowhis　pride　forbade　a　more　distant　retreathe　glanced　at　some　passages　of　the　letters　with　an　unsteady　eye　and　an　agitated　mindhis　stoicism；　however；　came　in　time　to　his　aid；　that　philosophy；　which；　rooted　in　pride；　yet　frequently　bears　the　fruits　of　virtue。　He　returned　towards　his　daughter　with　as　firm　an　air　as　his　feelings　permitted　him　to　assume。

〃There　is　great　apology　for　you；　Julia；　as　far　as　I　can　judge　from　a　glance　at　these　lettersyou　have　obeyed　at　least　one　parent。　Let　us　adopt　a　Scotch　proverb　the　Dominie　quoted　the　other　day'Let　bygones　be　bygones；　and　fair　play　for　the　future。'I　will　never　upbraid　you　with　your　past　want　of　confidencedo　you　judge　of　my　future　intentions　by　my　actions；　of　which　hitherto　you　have　surely　had　no　reason　to　complain。　Keep　these　lettersthey　were　never　intended　for　my　eye；　and　I　would　not　willingly　read　more　of　them　than　I　have　done；　at　your　desire　and　for　your　exculpation。　And　now；　are　we　friends？　Or　rather；　do　you　understand　me？〃

〃O　my　dear；　generous　father；〃　said　Julia；　throwing　herself　into　his　arms；　〃why　have　I　ever　for　an　instant　misunderstood　you？〃

〃No　more　of　that；　Julia；〃　said　the　Colonel；　〃we　have　both　been　to　blame。　He　that　is　too　proud　to　vindicate　the　affection　and　confidence　which　he　conceives　should　be　given　without　solicitation；　must　meet　much；　and　perhaps　deserved　disappointment。　It　is　enough　that　one　dearest　and　most　regretted　member　of　my　family　has　gone　to　the　grave　without　knowing　me；　let　me　not　lose　the　confidence　of　a　child；　who　ought　to　love　me　if　she　really　loves　herself。〃

〃Oh！　no　dangerno　fear！〃　answered　Julia；　〃let　me　but　have　your　approbation　and　my　own；　and　there　is　no　role　you　can　prescribe　so　severe　that　I　will　not　follow。〃

〃Well；　my　l